As India-Pakistan tensions soar following the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 tourists, Turkey’s overt support for Pakistan has raised eyebrows, hinting at a deeper strategic agenda. While global powers rally behind India, Turkey is quietly leveraging its alliance with Pakistan to pursue nuclear ambitions, a move that could reshape Middle East geopolitics and pose challenges for India’s regional influence. The presence of a Turkish C-130 aircraft in Karachi on April 27 and the warship TCG Büyükada docked at Karachi port until May 7 signals more than routine military exercises.

Turkey and Pakistan’s bond, cemented by a 2021 defense pact, has grown robust, with Turkey emerging as Pakistan’s second-largest arms supplier after China. Between 2020 and 2024, 10% of Turkey’s arms exports went to Pakistan, and plans for a joint fighter jet factory are underway. “Turkey sees Pakistan as a gateway to nuclear expertise,” says defense analyst Vikram Singh, pointing to reports of Turkey acquiring centrifuge technology from Pakistan for uranium enrichment. Media sources also suggest Turkish firms are funneling sensitive materials from Europe to Pakistan, potentially for onward transfer, raising concerns about clandestine nuclear proliferation.

Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, set to meet 10% of its energy needs, is officially for civilian use, but suspicions linger about covert uranium enrichment efforts. Bolstered by military ties with uranium-rich Kazakhstan, Turkey appears to be assembling the pieces for nuclear capability. “Ankara wants to lead the Islamic world, but Iran and Israel’s nuclear edge is a hurdle,” notes geopolitical expert Ayesha Khan. By aligning with Pakistan, the only Muslim nation with nuclear weapons, Turkey aims to counterbalance these rivals and cement its Middle East leadership. For India, this Turkey-Pakistan axis, fueled by nuclear ambitions, underscores a growing strategic challenge amid an already volatile Kashmir crisis.